First published in 1961, this book examines a number of works popular in the Romantic period, during the heyday of Sir Walter Scott in the early part of the nineteenth century.

Encompassing works by the likes of Alexander Pushkin, Sir Walter Scott, Adam Mickiewicz and James Fenimore Cooper, this is also a meditation on the nature of Romanticism and its enduring value, as expressed in the novel form. Donald Davie also considers the meaning and importance of 'plot' and of 'realism'.